


Falling Like the Stars

by strangeispowerful



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: (Reposted because I'm deleting the collection), F/M, First Kiss, One Shot, Song: Falling Like the Stars (James Arthur), Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:22:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27064819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangeispowerful/pseuds/strangeispowerful
Summary: A Zoevan songfic requested by deh_for_forever - "Falling Like the Stars" by James ArthurReposted because I'm deleting the one-shots collection (look at me, being neat and stuff)
Relationships: Evan Hansen & Zoe Murphy, Evan Hansen/Zoe Murphy
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Falling Like the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Original beginning notes: I listened to the song, and the scenario that sprung to my mind was a gentle stargazing moment where Evan and Zoe's feelings for each other come to light. I didn't take too much from the song's lyrics rather than the soft and loving vibe that I got. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> also wow I think this is the first straight pairing I've posted asgfhdjkhgfd

He’s laying next to her in the bed of her brother’s truck—they share it, alternating days like this, in the summer. He can hardly get over the nervousness he’s feeling at the fact that _this is how she wants to spend her time._ With _him._

“You know, your eyes need to be open to stargaze, Evan,” she says from next to him.

He cracks an eye open. She laughs. “What?”

“You’re acting weird.” 

The night sky comes into view—almost opaque with stars. He’s never seen it this full, completely flush with pinpoints of light. He can make out constellations, probably could name them but… what does that matter? Because he’s here, and she is too. And it’s so quiet and wonderful and real, and he feels utterly and completely out of place with his shaky hands and rushing pulse while she can be so _still._

Next to him, Zoe shifts. He turns his head, and she’s pulled herself into a sitting position, her dark blonde hair falling in a frizzy sheaf across her back. 

“Sorry,” Evan says, barely remembering what she’d said before. 

“Thanks for coming,” she says, looking at the sky, head almost completely tilted back. Evan pushes himself upright, next to her, leaning against the back window of the car. “Alana’s busy with paperwork for her internship.”

He smiles at her, even if she’s looking away. “Yeah, of course. Thank _you,_ for, um, inviting me.”

“Though,” she starts, then swallows. “I’m glad that it’s you.”

And there goes his pulse again—off like a shot. “You’re…?”

Zoe turns her head and looks at him, her skin smooth-looking in the dim. All he can see are her eyes, shining with the reflection of a streetlight a few yards away, her smile, subtle and kind, but that’s enough, really. “I don’t know. You’re… quiet. I don’t… know what I’m trying to say. Sorry. Never mind.” She pauses, looking back. “Actually. Uh. I didn’t ask Alana.”

“You didn’t?”

“You’re easier to talk to.”

 _“_ I… _am?”_

“She’d probably want to have a conversation about, like, planetary alignments and science and I usually love that. But. Uh.” She laughs, shakes her head. “Oh, god, I can’t speak. Sorry.”

He doesn’t answer because he doesn’t know how. His brain is still feebly trying to put two and two together and figure out the _what_ and _why_ and _how_ he of all people could be easy to talk to.

“I wanted you to see this, though.” Evan can see the silhouette of her arm gesturing at the sky. “It’s been cloudy for way too long. And, look, you can see Jupiter and Saturn.”

Evan rubs a shoulder, focusing on the two pinpoints of incredibly bright light hanging above them in the shadows. “I wanted to ask, yeah. That’s Jupiter and Saturn?”

“Yeah,” she grins. “And just, the sky is clear, for once. It’s been weirdly overcast for June.”

“You can see Lyra. Right? That’s… that’s the one you told me about?” He points up at the small diamond of stars far above them, and she’s… she’s quiet. Did he say something wrong? 

He looks back at her, and there’s this faraway, wistful look on her face, like she’s miles away. And then she asks, “You… remembered that?”

“I—,” he gets out, and then stops, trying to get his thoughts in order. “I, uh, yeah. The harp? Owned by… by Orpheus, right? From Greek mythology. And he could play the most beautiful music in the world.”

She laughs softly, an endearing song of a laugh, and he gets a warm feeling in his chest even knowing that he could coax it out of her. “Oh, yeah. Gotta get me one of those.”

“It wasn’t the harp that was magic, right? Orpheus could play really well?”

“Yeah, but,” she snickers, “I mean, you have to admit. Having a celestial harp would be amazing.”

Evan smiles. “Okay, yeah it would. But you don’t… you don’t need a celestial harp. Or some magical instrument to… sound good?” The end of his sentence comes up like a question and he swallows, suddenly nervous again. Conversation has always felt like being on a ship to him. As soon as he gains his footing, he trips himself up, hits a wave, and is knocked back to the deck. “Not that you don’t _always_ sound good, but like, a magic instrument couldn’t do much. To improve you! I mean—It’s… you already sound amazing.”

“Oh, my god,” she’s fully laughing now, bent over a little. “It’s okay, Evan. Thank you. You’re like, _too_ sweet for this world.”

“Thanks?”

“Yeah.”

And then it’s quiet for a long time, with the only sounds being the occasional car rushing past the empty parking lot, the wind, her breathing. His pulse starts to settle down as he realizes _yeah, it’s okay, it’s just Zoe. Zoe who you’ve known for so long. Things are okay with her. It’s okay. Chill out. You’re here with Zoe. You’re here—_

“Do you think… it gets lonely up there?”

He asks without looking away from the sky, quietly, “What?”

“Like,” her voice comes out a little too softly, and she clears her throat. “Because, even though the stars look so close, they’re really like, light years away from each other.” 

He doesn’t say anything, and then she suddenly sits up, scoots forward, as if she’s leaving. She turns back, expression concerned, unsure, her arms crossed gently. “Oh, god. Evan, I’m so sorry. That was really stupid—this is really stupid. I don’t know how to do this.”

The truck rocks with the sudden movement of Evan pushing himself into a cross-legged position, unsure himself of what to do, and Zoe reaches for a rubber band on the truck bed to busy her hands and starts tying her hair up. She immediately flinches and pulls it out, _ow-ow-ow-ing_ at the rubber getting caught in the thickness of it; Evan reaches forward, not sure if he should help, but she pulls it out with a vigor that looks incredibly painful, and embarrassed, she deposits it back on the warm metal, leans back against the side of the truck.

“Do… what?” Evan asks.

She’s silent. 

“Zoe?”

“Mm.”

“Do what?”

And then she scoots forward, toward him. His heart richochets against his chest as she settles next to him, closer than before, their bodies pressed shoulder to wrist. 

She turns to him, their faces close, and there’s a courageous look in her eyes, just lighting them up. Her eyebrows only turn up for a split second, a question. Evan just stares, beyond speaking, he thinks. Maybe even beyond thinking.

Zoe gently places her hand against his cheek, pauses—another question. He doesn’t bother to answer and instead bridges the distance between them. 

And everything is quiet. Every voice inside of his head, every distinct worry or doubt, every scraping _what if…_ the clamor has all gone away. But it’s the opposite of numb. Because now he’s feeling what feels like _everything._

_He’s kissing her. He’s kissing her!_

Evan doesn’t have the time or the bandwidth to think about everything that could possibly go wrong, because in this moment, for _once_ in what feels like forever… everything is right. And she smells like that strawberry shampoo that he saw in the shower caddy when he stayed overnight after spending the day at the lake with them earlier this month, and he can taste her lip balm, which must be citrusy or something because it’s intoxicating, filling his senses.

Time loses meaning. Place loses sense. 

He forgets every fact that he’s ever learned in school, every story he’s ever been told, the lyric to every song that he can absentmindedly mouth on the radio. He’s completely overcome. The world falls away.

_He’s kissing her!_

They break apart softly, and look at each other. Zoe is flushed, her complexion pinkish in the yellow glow of the streetlight. 

Now that they’re not kissing, the thoughts slowly start to flood in, but Evan feels light. Above them all. Though not so much that he doesn’t ask, “Was that okay?” in a voice that’s so quiet and breathless that it’s a wonder she even hears him.

She nods. Smiles. “Yeah.”

There really isn’t much else to say. She leans her head against his shoulder; Evan’s practically glowing now. And in that moment—maybe it’s cheesy, he thinks, is this what kissing does to someone?—the future becomes a little less unclear. Maybe it’s still as wide and unpredictable and unknown as it always has been. But now, the future is a place where holding Zoe’s hand is a feasible option.

Something as simple as a passed glance. Something that before was so menial. A gentle, faint smile as she passes by him in the hallway.

She never knew how wonderful that smile could make someone feel.

But now she can.

**Author's Note:**

> Original end notes: Feel free to request a one-shot, or just leave a kudos or comment! Have a wonderful day~!
> 
> [requests are closed as of now]
> 
> Original Work comments:
> 
> deh_for_forever: Thank you for writing this! I absolutely loved it!  
>  strangeispowerful: Aww, thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed and it was really fun to write!
> 
> evanhansen: This is so cute omg, I can imagine it perfectly. I love reading new bandtrees stuff, and this is just stunning. Awesome job!!  
>  strangeispowerful:Thank you so much! ^^ ❤️
> 
> yay


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